Officers at Senate door confiscate tampons, guns allowed

Updated 12:53 am, Saturday, July 13, 2013

Two female protesters are escorted out of the Texas Capitol Friday evening, July 12, 2013, by DPS officers. It is unclear if they were arrested and what the charges were; reports were conflicting. Video by Kolten Parker

Media: Express News

Update: DPS officials later said that jars with the suspected materials were not confiscated, rather discovered and disposed of.

AUSTIN — Department of Public Safety officers confirmed that “one jar suspected to contain urine, 18 jars suspected to contain feces and three bottles suspected to contain paint” were confiscated from people entering the Senate gallery Friday to watch the final debate on a controversial package of abortion restrictions.

Word spread on social media that DPS officers were confiscating tampons, sanitary napkins and other paper objects.

Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, communicated with the Senate's staff sergeant to stop the confiscation, but not before hashtags like #tamponcalypse began circulating with posts.

Several items weren't allowed through the checkpoints, after it was reported that demonstrators planned to throw things onto the Senate floor.

However, DPS officials said, people who hold concealed handgun licenses were expedited through and allowed to carry their firearms into the gallery, which is standing policy at the Capitol.